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CINEMACON: National Association Of Theatre Owners chief John Fithian urged delegates at the Las Vegas convention to release more family films year-round.
Box office has got off to a solid start in 2014, driven in no small part by Warner Bros’ The Lego Movie, DreamWorks Animation’s Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Disney’s Frozen and The Nut Job through Open Road.
“We could still use more calendar diversity,” said Fithian, who expressed satisfaction at the growing commercial might of Lionsgate as well as Open Road.
Fithian also said exhibitors were exploring a test week-night ticket discount in an unspecified US state, as exhibition does in Canada and Latin America.
In the subsequent annual meeting with reporters, Fithian and MPAA chairman and CEO Chris Dodd referenced but made no breakthrough announcements about texting in theatres, 3D and laser projection.
In other CinemaCon news:
- Sony Digital Cinema Solutions and theatrical on demand pioneer Gathr Films are in talks to create the first web-based marketplace for exhibitors to book screenings.
- Speaker and headphone manufacturer Klipsch unveiled five new professional cinema surround speakers. The two 8-inch woofer models are KPT-8000-M and KPT-8060-H and the three 12-inch woofer designs are KPT-1200-M, KPT 1260-H and KPT-1200-VBM.
- Commercial LCD display and projector specialist NEC Display Solutions Of America has unveiled its NC1100L Digital Cinema Projector.
- Harkness Screens has launched its fourth generation 2D and 3D screen surface, Clarus XC.


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Keeping up with the new tradition of releasing new Splatoon 2 content every weekend, Nintendo today released a new weapon.
Called the Forge Splattershot Pro, it was a popular main weapon in the old Splatoon game. This time though, it comes with a brand new Special weapon: the Bubble Blower.
Both weapons are available now to all Splatoon 2 players, just in time for the new Splatfest (which is live right now, by the way).
Here’s another look at the Forge Splattershot Pro:
And a video of the new weapons in action:

domain: news


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Before Facebook was finally able to snap up WhatsApp, there was a tight tug-of-war between the social networking giant and Google over who would acquire the mobile messenger app. In the end, Google lost its more than $10 billion takeover bid to Facebook, which bought WhatsApp for $19 billion.
Now it is being reported that the search titan has a new mobile messenger app up its sleeve. Google is reportedly developing its own such app, which is still in its early phase, and testing the forthcoming product in India once work is completed. Google will ostensibly unveil the app in 2015.
The mobile messaging is one business area that Google failed to catch up with in the last couple of years, though it had launched several products to pursue opportunities in this niche. That is why it is now testing the mobile messaging ecosystem in emerging markets, where it pins its hope for growth in various product lines that it has now.
According to people privy to Google’s plan, the mobile messenger app in the works would not require users to log in with their Google account, in addition to rumors that the app will be free of charge compared to the freemium model of WhatsApp in which it charges users $1 per year after one year of free use.
And since Google is primarily targeting the Indian market, it plans to adapt a version of the app with India’s language.
It might be said, however, that Google’s renewed focus on the Indian market comes at a late time when other strong mobile messenger apps such as WeChat and Line, among others, are already dominating the country with their respective loyal subscribers.
Many tech analysts project India as the next largest market for mobile technology, next only to China, five years from now. For example, data compiled by a market research firm shows that 65 million of WhatsApp’s 600 million user base come from India. Unfortunately for Google, it failed to capture much opportunity in this market when it lost WhatsApp to Facebook.
In comparison, Line claims it has more than 18 million users while Indian-developed Hike says its user base is edging near to 35 million. With such a huge potential of the mobile and instant messaging market, it is no wonder that many tech giants are looking to India for an expansive business growth.
Market research company Gartner also reported an 8 percent growth in mobile connections in India.
Disclosure: We might earn commission from qualifying purchases. The commission help keep the rest of my content free, so thank you!


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Focus on supply chain flexibility in the tough times of COVID-19
Experts weigh in on their new priorities when managing their supply chains in an unprecedented climate
As sourcing is disrupted and demand fluctuates, corporations are having to adapt their supply chains now more than ever before. Reuters Events: Supply Chain sat down with experts to hear about their experiences in keeping a degree of business continuity in the current climate – and saw differences in the necessary adaptations between younger and more established corporations.
Reshoring rules over nearshoring
The COVID-19 outbreak has brought forward discussions around sourcing and the best strategy to balance competing needs for cost-effectiveness, shipping speed, reliability and resilience. Brands are evaluating where to base production and are finding that the pull of the typical manufacturing hubs is difficult to escape from, and indeed, may not even be the best decision.
“We started to shift our mentality” said Jason Glover, Director of Global Sourcing at Harry’s, an e-commerce start-up for men’s grooming products. “We’re finding ourselves actually going back to the offshoring, if you will, back to Asia to get what we think is probably quicker lead times, and just a little more reactive,” He noted, illustrating the journey that brands are undergoing as they try to figure out the optimal configuration for supply chains after the pandemic flipped the conversation. “We’ve flip-flopped to what we were trying to get away from”.
I actually think you have to look at it across the spectrum – [dual sourcing] is something you do to have a dynamic supply chain
Yuki Khurana, Senior VP Sourcing and Quality Assurance at United Legwear & Underwear Co., a global manufacturer working with multiple brands, including Puma, agreed that the choice is complex. With suppliers in Asia, he spoke of how their pre-existing partners and substantial supply chain infrastructure limited the capability to onshore or nearshore – “if we’re going to be moving that supply chain to nearshoring, who do we have? Where’s the partner? If we would nearshore, it would be actually bringing in Asian partners with the local partner and creating an entity which basically is fluid.”
This emphasis on fluidity ran through the conversation, with Mikkel Søndergaard Rasmussen, EU Director Supply Chain Solution at Maersk, agreeing that the answers are likely to lie in a greater range of partners in manufacturing hubs. “I actually think you have to look at it across the spectrum – [dual sourcing] is something you do to have a dynamic supply chain … dual sourcing is about making sure that if you have disruptions in one place, you can then cope with that in other parts of the system. I don’t see the conversation as being one dimensional.”
This need for multiple sources was emphasised when Khurana mentioned the struggles they, as a multi-brand supplier, have faced not just with manufacturing capacity but also transportation. “Case in point, six months ago COVID hit – where’s your supply? Oh, all the factories in the world are shutting down…. China opened up … [and] they saw everybody going back into China. In a matter of three months we don’t have containers to ship out of China”.
When I see factories in Germany, Turkey…they are basically not scalable, or not scalable for the size we need them
Despite this, the proximity to suppliers or their location were not the only component at the forefront of the conversation, with other variables coming to play for all companies. “I can’t emphasise enough that opportunity for finding the right size for what works for your strategy” said Glover, who stated that they “rely a great deal on our contract manufacturers … what gives us that instantaneous capacity, because we’re still in that moment of growth.”
Despite fluctuating demand at these times, it was clear that scalability is also a major focus when working with suppliers, as Suriano stated, “When I see factories in Germany, Turkey…they are basically not scalable, or not scalable for the size we need them.” This was echoed by Khurana – “it goes back to the point, scalability. Can a factory scale to the level we need?”
A flexible or a robust supply chain?
As a mature start-up, Glover made it clear that Harry’s has less substantial infrastructure in their supply chain, giving from for manoeuvre: “Harry’s is a new brand, so we don’t have that same infrastructure that our competitors have.… We’re really trying to make sure that we can be agile.” The flexibility of suppliers is essential, firstly when you’re in an unprecedented climate, but also as a growing corporation. “We really need suppliers that are just flexible, we need suppliers who can take the punches, who can expand or contrast.… We’re really trying to partner with those suppliers that can be agile, those suppliers that can negotiate in tight time frames”
It’s going to be easier and faster to produce from Asia, where everything is integrated rather than have it in your backyard but in a very old setup way
This was in stark comparison to United Legwear & Underwear, whose supply chain infrastructure in Asia gave great rewards, but didn’t allow for changing suppliers in the same way. “We’ve built a supply chain in Asia which is robust, which is ever evolving.… You don’t want to disrupt, you don’t want to go through an onboarding process, which may take 12 to 18 months for any new factory”, stated Khurana. “You’re not getting the return in the short term.”
Suriano agreed, “It’s going to be easier and faster to produce from Asia, where everything is integrated rather than have it in your backyard but in a very old setup way.”
Suriano spoke about their focus on regional suppliers, and the essential input of risk mitigation in challenging times such as these. “Our strategies have to be a little bit more consistent”, said Suriano, “we want to stick to a global approach, so have been talking about being regional and being able to serve regions for a very long time. It’s not the first time that [an issue like] COVID hit and we have to change the approach.… Now it’s more a conversation of risk mitigation.”
You have to have partners that understand your need and understand how you operate
Glover agreed that as they move forward and mature, these relationships are even more critical and have to be a part of the conversation. “Whether it’s COVID or tariffs increasing, or whatever it is, you really see the difference in these suppliers versus those who are not so willing to help you navigate the challenges”.
This was echoed by Søndergaard Rasmussen, “It is much more a matter of strategic partnerships, longer term partnerships, it’s much more around making it a win-win situation for both parties…you have to have partners that understand your need and understand how you operate.”
Vectoring in visibility
Visibility is a huge component of risk mitigation and partner evaluation, and understanding where the risk lies is at the top of the agenda for supply chain management.
“We have internal intelligence that is working constantly,” said Suriano. “We’re looking at commodity prices changing, we’re looking at political [changes], scenarios changing, we’re looking at demand changing. All of those aspects get digested from different parts of the internal business…. We are basically then mitigating with the tactics we have in our operating model, and we’re able to adjust and keep driving towards our goals.”
This year alone, we’ve grown probably 10 to 15 new global retailers, so that right there is stressing our supply chain
In comparison, Glover’s agenda is less focused on forecasting data at this point and instead on supplier visibility – “Every single year previously does not look like the year before, so historical data is completely out the window. This year alone, we’ve grown probably 10 to 15 new global retailers, so that right there is stressing our supply chain.”
Søndersgaard Rasmussen also cautioned that “The change that you’re talking about is not only on the technical side, but it’s as much on the organisational side”, and that “at least the way we see many of our customers being organised doesn’t facilitate that end-to-end thinking”.
The ‘enabler of growth’
“Today for me it’s around thinking of the supply chain as an enabler of growth”, said Søndergaard Rasmussen, “It’s a mindset.
“Look at how much money is moved into the last mile…some of the conversations that we need to have now and bring to the table are that we have almost under-invested in the international supply chain, the visibility that companies and retailers have on the last mile…and then compare that and contrast that to the investment that is going into the international society.”
I’ve always said we need to make sourcing sexy, and when you think about it – I compare it to marketing … we should have a seat at the table, and it should be a strategic muscle that the company relies on, on a daily basis
Glover echoed the need to bring forward sourcing to the forefront of the organisation, more so than ever at these times, saying “I’ve always said we need to make sourcing sexy, and when you think about it – I compare it to marketing … we should have a seat at the table, and it should be a strategic muscle that the company relies on, on a daily basis.”
Looking at how marketing and the supply chain can intertwine and work together, and cause growth, was a prominent part of the conversation, with a focus on visibility and sustainability, both being tools that can be utilised by the sales teams as readily as they can the supply chain, and pushing technology forward as a major focus of supply chain management at this time. Currently, when demand is fluctuating, the importance of bringing the back-end of the business to the forefront is top of the agenda.
“We start thinking of the supply chain as an end-to-end enabler, and we today see how much digital is helping to overcome those hiccups and those bottlenecks,” explained Suriano, who argued that we should be advocating for more investment.
Have one ideology, one goal in mind – to service that customer in a timely manner
Glover agreed and said that he found “Tracking lost revenue has been a great way to get leadership in line…. You’re already presenting a clear picture with those metrics” said Glover. Further visibility and breaking internal silos are at the forefront of supply chain management at present. As Suriano queried – “how do we make this mechanism of supply chain working more integrated to the front end of the business?”
“You sit on the table, you collaborate with the sales team, the marketing team, the logistics team, bring everybody together” said Khurana, “and have one ideology, one goal in mind – to service that customer in a timely manner”.
Whether the companies were growing their supply chains, or working within their already established infrastructure, it was clear from the conversation that flexibility is the focus of the supply chain for business continuity. For the more mature corporations, data and technology are essential in making the most out of their already formed supply chain, whereas the ability to manoeuvre and a focus on building scalable partnerships was at the forefront for developing the supply chain at Harry’s.
These changes may be difficult, with shifting aims, a push on visibility, and a fight to be seen at the front-end of the organisation, but perhaps, as Søndergaard Rasmussen remarked, this makes it “exciting to be in sourcing, today more than ever before”.


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A federal grand jury announced Thursday it has subpoenaed documents from General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM) regarding its recall of 2.6 million cars linked to a faulty ignition switch, the Wall Street Journal reported.
GM says the switch is linked to at least 13 deaths in Chevrolet Cobalts and Saturn Ions. The federal grand jury wants to know why it took more than a decade for the automaker to issue a vehicle safety recall despite evidence that people inside the company were aware of the problem.
GM had announced previously that it was the target of queries from all three branches of the federal government for its handling of a fatal ignition switch defect in some of its cars dating as far back as 2002. A report from Anton Valukas, the former federal prosecutor hired by GM to investigate why it took so long to own up to the problem, said he found no evidence of a cover-up, but that there was no evidence anyone “deliberately withheld” information about safety issues.
The world’s third-largest automaker has issued 44 recalls so far this year covering 20 million vehicles worldwide. On Tuesday it told dealers to stop selling its Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan for faulty airbags that are plaguing other automakers too. So far the company expects to spend at least $1.3 billion to repair flaws it has identified in its vehicles.
GM had disclosed in its first-quarter earnings report on April 24 that it was “subject of various inquiries, investigations, subpoenas and requests for information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Congress, NHTSA, the SEC, and a state attorney general in connection with our recent recalls.”


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HTC has just posted its financial results for the second quarter of the year and things are looking pretty great for the Taiwanese manufacturer. Asia's second largest smartphone maker has scored record revenue and profit in the three months ending on 31 June.
Not only this, the company also managed to surpass the analysts' expectations with its revenue of over $4.32 billion. That's more than double of what HTC reported for the same period last year and way better than the expected $4.13 billion. And this is not happening for the first time either - HTC has managed to do better than expected for a sixth quarter in a row.
The strong sales of Desire HD, Sensation and Thunderbolt droids are explicitly quoted as the reason behind this success. Those three smartphones played the most important roles in helping HTC meet its 11 million units shipped target too.
With such great sales it's no wonder that profits are on the rise. HTC has a net income of $608 million in those three months alone, exceeding targets by more than $45 million.
The outlook for the third quarter is pretty positive, too, with more records expected to be broken.
Brand awareness for HTC is pretty strong and their products have mostly been positioned in the premium segment. We just wish they start putting as much effort in their phone's cameras as in all the other aspects.
it is first fast technology mobile
Im not hater or lover of any brand, i sell new phones every day and heres what i have seen from htc: -when using htc phone (desire, desire hd, sensation, desire s) phone is getting really hot, i mean very hot. -screens on htc are by far the wo...
HTC it having gud features
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Mercedes-Benz India has registered sales of 14,867 units in the 2019 fiscal (April-March), recording a 8.4 percent dip in volumes. The German carmaker announced that, in the first quarter of the financial year (Jan-March), sales declined 14.7 percent to 3,885 units, as rising interest rates, liquidity crunch and rising costs weighed on customer demand.
Key rival BMW India notched an estimated 10,856 units during the fiscal, up 12.8 percent over an estimated 9,615 units sold in FY2018. The Bavarian company has closed the gap to its German rival, who ended 2018 as the country's highest-selling luxury carmaker for the fourth year straight.
BMW Group India recently reported its highest-ever first-quarter sales (January-March 2019), during which it delivered 2,982 cars (BMW and Mini), registering a year-on-year growth of 19 percent. Of these, BMW cars accounted for 2,822 units (up 19 percent) while Mini India sold 160 cars (up 18 percent).
Meanwhile, the Indian subsidiary of Swedish carmaker Volvo Cars sold 2,687 units in the 2019 fiscal (April-March), registering a growth of 25 percent year-on-year, albeit on a lower base. Jaguar Land Rover India and Audi India are yet to reveal sales figures for the quarter and fiscal.
The volume drivers for Mercedes-Benz India in the January-March period 2019 remained the Long Wheelbase E-class sedan, along with the new C-class and the GLC SUV. The V-class luxury MPV continues its sales success and has a waiting period in most markets, according to the carmaker. The AMG and the ‘Dream Cars’ segment remained the highest growing segment for Mercedes-Benz in Q1 2019, with more than 50 percent growth compared to Q1 2018.
Commenting on the company's performance, Martin Schwenk, managing director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India said, “We are satisfied with our sustained sales performance, despite facing strong macro-economic headwinds. On our 25th year in India, we will continue to invest in new products and technologies, in retail network and digitisation, to keep ourselves future ready."
Click here for Mercedes India models, prices, images, reviews, videos and more


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SAN FRANCISCO (Hypebot) – Music video hub Vevo is no longer for sale, according to reports that surfaced late yesterday. It is an unusual shift for a property that spent the last months strengthening itself for a sale. The "leaked" story is that Vevo's owners – Universal Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Google and the Abu Dhabi Media Group – pulled the sale because they believe that Vevo is poised for rapid growth, according to The Post.
But there's likely another reason that Vevo is no longer looking for a suitor.
Vevo certainly proved its value. It's YouTube's #1 music video channel and is planning a major international expansion. But the profitability of the service – and thus, its value to any prospective buyer – depends almost entirely on the royalties that a new owner would have to pay to artists and labels.
With the world's two biggest music groups – Universal and Sony – collectively controlling a large percentage of Vevo's content, rates could have been set to make a purchase attractive. Instead, it seems likely that big music decided that lowering rates to the point where a new owner could operate Vevo profitability was out of the question.
It's a calculation that major labels and publishers have often made often in the past, to the detriment of music tech innovation.


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HOUSTON – If you headed out for “Sunday Funday” this weekend or just out to eat recently, you may have noticed the crowds. More people are getting out and about and in some cases, tables are hard to come by.
“People are back. People are dining,” said Greater Houston Restaurant Association president Cameron James. “Right now, we are living in that kind of ‘boom’ and it’s everywhere.”
At Coppa Osteria in Rice Village, the patio and dining room were packed with people over the weekend.
“I would say the same or about 10 to 15% better than pre-COVID-19,” said Coppa Osteria owner of Grant Cooper of Clark Cooper Concepts. “We are happy to see people coming in. People are trying to do their little so-called hugs from afar, but now I think they are actually embracing each other a little.”
This time last year, Cooper, who owns three other Houston restaurants, had to lay off several longtime staff members.
“I was breaking down crying trying to tell my staff what we had to do. We had to lay a lot of people off that had worked very hard,” said Cooper. “It was a very hard, emotional time for our staff.”
But now, it is quite the opposite. With a high demand for dining out, more employees are needed.
A restaurant staffing shortage, one of the worst ever for Texas, and the loss of 2,500 restaurants to COVID-19 are contributing to a smaller pool of options for restaurants.
“We literally can’t open our two other restaurants because we don’t have enough staff,” Cooper said.
James said the association plans to meet with the Texas Workforce Commission in the coming days to come up with a plan to entice more employees back into restaurants.
“It is a very exciting time for the restaurant industry, and I hope that people will recognize that and want to come back and work in this industry,” said James.
Until then, as more people go out to eat, industry experts say plan ahead, make reservations and be prepared to wait.


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Bang & Olufsen Introduces BeoVision Avant Ultra HD TV
Posted on May 14, 2014
Bang & Olufsen has introduced its new BeoVision Avant Ultra HD television. The BeoVision Avant gets 4K video performance. The TV has a built-in 3-channel stereo system, which is located in a sound panel that unfolds when the television is on and retreats when the TV is turned off. The center speaker is located directly underneath the screen. Bang & Olufsen says this enables you to hear "even the smallest details in the dialogue and nuances in the soundscape."
Bang & Olufsen CEO Tue Mantoni says in a statement, "Our research shows that consumers want more and more from their televisions. People are pressed for time, and they want entertainment that just works so they can focus on it – and each other – rather than the technology itself. BeoVision Avant delivers on all counts. The name Avant is a nod to our most successful TV to date, the Avant launched in 1995. Just as the first Avant was a game changer in an analogue era, we believe the new BeoVision Avant will set the standard for what should be expected from a television in the future."
Take a look:
Here is a photo of the remote for the BeoVision Avant:


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By M&C Report team2011-11-09T08:24:00+00:00
Wagamama has launched a new cook at home range, inspired by the response to its online cooking series Wok From Home.
Prezzo is to open a new restaurant within owner Cain International’s Islington Square development in North London – its first opening since 2018, with more in the pipeline.
Chilango has appointed Wagamama’s chief operating officer Nigel Sherwood to the board as a non-executive director.
Electra Private Equity has announced that Hostmore plc is the name of the new parent company for its hospitality brands TGI Fridays and 63rd+1st.
Whitbread is to open two further Bar + Block venues, its high street steakhouse business, taking its portfolio to 17 sites.
Megan’s, the neighbourhood restaurant business, is looking to recruit 100 new team members, including a people director and operations director.
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Representatives from the Chinese side say they think it likely that Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the G-20 meeting later this month. But in order to reach a trade...China Economyread more
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The flattening of the yield curve is exuding a bad omen for the stock market if history is any guide.Marketsread more
Stratolaunch, the world's largest airplane, which flew once, is up for sale, sources familiar told CNBC.Investing in Spaceread more
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Mired in a crisis over its best-selling 737 Max plane, Boeing could hand the spotlight over to its rival Airbus at the Paris Air Show.Airlinesread more
Tesla's fatal car crash and the Model 3's slow rate of production is what's behind Tesla's dropping stock, said Colin Langan, a U.S. auto analyst at UBS.
"Not only do you need to ramp this product, but you are going to have to make sure the quality improves as you ramp it," Langan told CNBC on Monday.
"[There are] a lot of challenges ahead. This is really a very important year. This is the future of the company with the Model 3, and it's not starting off very well," Langan said on "Squawk on the Street. "
March 2018 was the second-worst month for Tesla shares, narrowly trailing behind December 2010. Its stock price fell 22.4 percent in March, compared with a 2.69 percent decline in the S&P 500 during the same period. On Monday, the shares fell 4 percent more, trading just over $251 — a 36 percent decline since September 2017's all-time high of $389.61.
Last Thursday, the company announced a voluntary recall of 123,000 Model S vehicles, citing an issue with the power steering component. Then on Friday, Tesla revealed a Model X was involved in a fatal crash while the car's Autopilot system was active.
"The Tesla Autopilot crash ... is obviously raising concerns about that system, whether it's fully safe," said Langan. He said having the word "autopilot" as part of the name may not be wise since drivers are still required to have some level of awareness while driving in autopilot mode.
"That raises concerns about liability and that system," he said. "Maybe it needs some form of driver monitoring to ensure that the driver is aware."
Langan said investors are also worried about Model 3 production.
"And on top of it, some of the initial reviews from customers, they're finding issues with this car," he said. "They're going to have to work those out."
Langan said Tesla should increase production of the Model 3 by 2018's third quarter or it will have to raise capital.
Shares of the electric-car maker skyrocketed throughout much of last year, due in large part to anticipation over the Model 3, Tesla's first midpriced sedan. In Tesla's fourth-quarter letter to investors, the company said it would produce 2,500 Model 3 cars per week by the end of its first quarter. It aimed to produce 5,000 a week by the second quarter. The company had initially planned to hit these targets in 2017. But production issues have plagued the company, and it has repeatedly had to delay its production.
"I think the way that they'd like to do it is ramp the Model 3 and then raise the capital for the Model Ys," Langan said. "If they can't get it ramped that puts them in a more challenged position than [Tesla has been] historically."
Langan said Tesla will likely have to raise more than $1 billion.
"The billion will keep them going," he said. "It bides them more time to ramp the Model 3."
On April 1, Elon Musk tweeted an April Fools' joke that Tesla had gone bankrupt.
Langan said the company is far from going bankrupt.
But he said, "I don't think it's something I would be joking about."
"You one day think Tesla will be worth the same as General Motors. Maybe. Maybe not," he said.
He added, "I bought the product. I would never buy the stock."


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Microsoft will be unveiling its new operating system on June 24. They have hinted over the last few weeks that this version could be called Windows 11.
Panos Panay, Microsoft’s Chief Product Officer posted a teaser for the Windows event on Twitter. The animation could be interpreted as showing the number 11. Microsoft also recently posted an 11-minute video on YouTube that teases with a new start-up sound.
Regardless of the name, join the Microsoft Windows Event on June 24 to see what’s next.
Since the above post, Microsoft has indeed announced Windows 11. It brings a fresh and creative interface that includes a rejuvenated Start Menu. There are new ways to connect and interact with your preferred content. Get ready to experience some big changes.
The software is scheduled to roll out starting in late 2021, according to Microsoft, and will continue throughout 2022. It will be free to upgrade.
Computers and Microsoft Surfaces with Windows 11 installed should launch later this year. You can find the minimum system requirements for installing Windows 11 on your PC, HERE.
In Fall 2021, watch for an online ‘PC Health Check App‘ that will further assist in determining if your system is ready for Windows 11.
There is no rush to update to Windows 11. Microsoft will continue to support Windows 10 through 2025.


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Scads of Isabel Toledo’s devotees waited patiently on the sidewalk Tuesday night to take the claustrophobic elevator ride to her 28th Street penthouse in Manhattan. At one point, even a police cruiser pulled up to see what all the commotion was about.
Partygoers turned out to toast Toledo for being this year’s recipient of the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Couture Council Award for Artistry for Fashion, and for the Museum at FIT’s 2009 exhibition of her work. Vera Wang, Simon Doonan, Cynthia Rowley, Maria Cornejo, Narciso Rodriguez, Linda Fargo and Nicole Fischelis were among those who braved the non-air-conditioned space and, in some cases, 11 flights of stairs, to get there. Toledo’s illustrator husband Ruben greeted well-wishers at the door and immediately handed them fans with a sketch of his wife. Many admired other pieces of his work, which adorn their cavernous studio with a sweeping view of the Empire State Building.
In her remarks, Harper’s Bazaar’s editor in chief Glenda Bailey referred to the design duo as “New York’s chicest couple” and said, “I can’t help but think if Isabel didn’t exist, Ruben would have created her.”
Later, co-host Valerie Steele, director of the Museum at FIT, told WWD, “Isabel is someone who understands the artistry and craftsmanship of fashion, and not that many designers do.”
Rodriguez said he and the Toledos attended the same high school, but only became friendly once they started out and were running in the same circles. Tuesday’s party gave Michael Vollbracht the chance to introduce himself to Rodriguez and to pile on the praise, and Rodriguez made it clear the feeling was mutual. “See, some designers really do like each other,” Vollbracht offered. “And are nice to each other,” Rodriguez added.
There was no shortage of compliments for the guest of honor, whom FIT will fete during a fashion week luncheon. She described the occasion as “a stamp of approval” more than anything. She said, “I really think the Couture Council has brought a lot of attention to our industry and to individuals. It’s not just about the big corporate fashion world, which is how we look at American fashion. They are looking at individuals.”
As Toledo continues to design for private clients until she is officially free from Jones Apparel Group in October, Michelle Obama is one individual who could help cast her fate. The presumptive Democratic presidential candidate’s wife started buying Toledo’s designs at Ikram in Chicago and has since contacted the designer about collaborating. Toledo said, “I am putting together a few things to send to her — some dresses, skirts and pants. Frankly, if I could dress her at home, I would be a happy woman. That’s the plan — to get into the White House.” �
Alberta Ferretti's "Rainbow Week" sweaters are back. The designer closed her #MFW show with a few day-of-the-week sweaters, which first debuted on the catwalk last January as part of the pre-fall 2017 collection. #wwdfashion (📷: @delphineachard)


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International Market Centers (IMC) has received a temporary certificate of occupancy for the Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas. The new 315,000-square-foot trade show facility in downtown Las Vegas is slated to open on August 30 and will house the temporary gift and home exhibits for IMC’s summer Las Vegas Market.
Crate & Barrel said that after six successful years with the Otto Group— first as a member of the executive board of the Otto Group responsible for retail and later as CEO of Crate & Barrel Holdings— Neela Montgomery has decided to leave the company on August 1 to pursue new opportunities.
The home and small office furniture segment is going through a metamorphosis of sorts, one that has been accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. but that has its roots in consumer lifestyle transitions and professional workstyle transformations that have been progressing for a generation.
Overstock has been awarded a U.S. government contract with the General Services Administration (GSA) as one of three online retailers providing business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce capabilities for federal agencies.
The merger of Bestar and Bush Industries occurred in time for the combined enterprise to address a market aligning with its core competencies, including e-commerce and product development, and ready to tap key product categories, including the home office furniture segment, such that the company anticipates adding 30 to 40 employees to its workforce in the coming weeks, said Mark Weppner, svp/marketing, design and engineering for the company.
To allow for greater consumer choice as to whether they want to buy or lease merchandise, Rent-A-Center has entered a partnership with ChargeAfter that will allow retailers to add a preferred lease option to ChargeAfter’s consumer point of sale financing product.
WellnessMats and Smart Step Flooring have launched the “All In This Together Program,” a set of unique standing solutions that honors health care and frontline workers, and a community coming together to combat COVID.
Office Depot has appointed D. Anthony Scaglione as evp/chief financial officer, effective July 20, 2020. As CFO, Scaglione will report directly to CEO Gerry Smith and be a member of the executive committee.


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New Opportunities Open For Potential Business Owners
FULTON - New efforts are being made in Fulton to encourage potential business owners to strongly consider making an investment in the town. A group of seven Fulton business owners, bankers and educators have launched what they're calling an Entrepreneurial Initiative board under the Fulton Area Development Corporation. The board was created to help promote community involvement and to better guide potential business owners in the area.
Small towns have traditionally struggled with the constant change in spending patterns, outside competition and new merchandising techniques. The Entrepreneurial Initiative will help mentor prospective business owners about how to successfully begin developing retail and business strategies.
Board members said the Fulton area is in an ideal location for business growth with close access to the highway, two colleges and the Callaway County Courthouse. New businesses would help fill vacant storefronts and commercial buildings in the downtown "Brick District," and would bring in additional sales tax in revenue to the city of Fulton.
Fulton Area Development Corporation President Bruce Hackmann said residents often have to leave Fulton to buy resources that are not offered locally.
"We've always said our location is a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing in the fact that we have access to larger communities nearby that bring things to the table that we can take advantage of, but at the same time, we feel like we have a lot to offer in a community like Fulton," he said.
Hackmann also said providing material for the needs of local shoppers is an ongoing battle.
"That's the constant goal that we have in a community like this is to try to provide those types of services and goods that people want," he said.
He said smaller towns often struggle to compete with cities with more resources.
"This is something that a lot of communities have recognized because of the competitive nature of economic development and trying to attract a large business or a large industry to your community with a lot of jobs, it's so competitive," Hackmann said.
Fulton's was one of 39 downtowns in Missouri to be selected for the state's Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri Initiative (DREAM) program. The initiative held focus groups and community surveys to form a strategic plan about how to increase downtown traffic and help fill vacant space. A recent survey showed that potential service and retail businesses would be the most profitable way to fill vacant space downtown.
PGAV Planners, an urban planning and consulting company, partnered with the DREAM initiative to analyze how Fulton residents felt about the town's resources. Its analysis showed the most room for financial gain in grocery stores, restaurants and building material and supplier dealers. The retail market analysis found that a lack of local retail businesses and building renovations were contributing factors to the low success rate of the Fulton area shopping experience.
One new business owner said the community has become more invested in growing the town's financial potential, after the restructuring of the Brick District Association.
Well Read co-owner Brian Warren and his wife moved to mid-Missouri from California. The couple opened a bookstore in the Brick District last October because they said they saw potential in the town's atmosphere.
"The neat thing about being in a small town is that... whatever you do has a big impact," Warren said.
He also said there is a need for more retail stores.
"We definitely need more businesses. We want more retail establishment to come down here and see what we are doing and realize just like we did when we started our business a year ago, that there's a lot of opportunity here and there's a ton of upside to investing in Fulton," he said.
The analysis also showed that residents made use of their close proximity to Columbia and Jefferson City by obtaining resources that were not offered in the area.
A telephone survey administered in 2009 as a part of the DREAM Initiative identified that most residents wanted to see more dining and retail shops in the downtown area and showed discontent with the Brick District's lack of entertainment and after hours options.
The new Entrepreneurial Initiative has board members from the Callaway Bank, Westminster College, and other local businesses represented. Hackmann said the diverse group will further advance economic development programs.
"We think we are ahead of the game in terms of having some of those resources already in the community," he said.
The Callaway Bank is offering to give new downtown business owners two percent of the purchasing loan cost to new businesses for two years. The two percent initiative will be given to businesses to enhance physical improvements, upgrade equippment and stock inventory.
The initiative board plans to release more information about mentoring programs, recruiting and a possible innovation center in the new year.


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Johannesburg - Imperial Holdings Ltd., owner of South Africa’s biggest car dealership network, appointed Mark Lamberti to succeed Hubert Brody as chief executive officer.
Lamberti, 63, founder of retail group Massmart Holdings Ltd. in 1988, will start March 1, the Johannesburg-based company said in a statement today.
Brody, who announced his departure in October, will remain on the board as a non-executive director.
“The appointment was made after an extensive search by the nominations committee, during which a number of external and internal candidates were considered,” the company said.
The stock, which had dropped as much as 3.8 percent earlier today, trimmed lossed after the statement and was down 0.4 percent as of 4:23 p.m. in Johannesburg. - Bloomberg News


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Starbucks founder Howard Schultz is returning as the coffee giant’s interim CEO when Kevin Johnson steps down next month after leading the company for five years, Starbucks said in a statement Wednesday, a rare second return for a top executive at a major company.
Schultz, 68–who served as Starbucks’ chief executive from 1986 to 2000 and returned from 2008 to 2017—will lead the company until the board finds a new leader, the company said.
Johnson, 61, will retire April 4 after five years as CEO and 13 years with Starbucks, and he will serve as a special consultant to the company and its board through September, the company said.
Starbucks shares were up 7.52% to $89.34 as of 11:30 a.m. ET Wednesday, but its shares are still off 23% this year due to higher costs and sluggish sales in China.
$4 billion. That’s Schultz’s estimated net worth, according to Forbes.
Under Schultz’s leadership, Starbucks became a global brand with more than 3,000 stores worldwide from just 11. In the fourth quarter, Starbucks’ net income rose 349% to $1.76 billion on a 31% rise in sales to $8.1 billion. But its performance in China, the company’s second-biggest market, has lagged, with same-store sales falling 7% in the fourth quarter.
The Seattle-based coffee giant’s leadership transition comes as a growing number of Starbucks stores in the U.S. are moving to form a union after about two decades of unsuccessful union efforts to organize.


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The US tariff on single malt whisky exports has been suspended for four months, the UK Government has confirmed.
A deal has been struck between the UK’s international trade secretary, Liz Truss, and the new Biden administration in America.
It follows the UK’s decision to suspend tariffs on US products last year.
The 25% whisky tax will be lifted while governments on both sides of the Atlantic try to come up with a long-term solution to a long-running row over subsidies to aircraft manufacturing giants Boeing and Airbus.
A similar US tax on luxury cashmere products, such as those made by Scottish firm Johnstons of Elgin, has also been lifted temporarily.
Announcing the move, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “From Scotch whisky distillers to Stilton-makers, businesses across the UK will benefit from the US decision today to suspend tariffs in this dispute.
“It shows what the UK can do as an independent trading nation, striking deals that back our businesses and support free and fair trade.
“I now look forward to strengthening the UK-US relationship, as we drive economic growth and build back better together.”
It shows what the UK can do as an independent trading nation, striking deals that back our businesses and support free and fair trade.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Ms Truss said: “I am delighted to say that our American allies – under their new president and his hard-working staff at the US Trade Representative – have embraced our move to seek a fair settlement.
“This is ‘Global Britain’ in action – securing new opportunities as a newly nimble nation.
“The benefits will be felt across our nation, especially in Scotland, where Scotch whisky distillers will be able to sell at lower prices in the United States, their most valuable market.
“The easier it is for Americans to buy a bottle of Macallan, Talisker or Glenfiddich, the more money those producers will have to invest in their businesses, their staff and futures.”
She added: “Today’s agreement shows that both the UK and the US are determined to work together to build back better and take our trading relationship to new heights.”
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack hailed the US tariff suspension as “great news for the Scottish whisky industry – a cornerstone of Scotland’s economy”.
Mr Jack added: “The UK Government has fought incredibly hard on this issue, petitioning the highest levels of the US administration to remove tariffs which were harming our Scottish exporters.
“We are very pleased to have negotiated an agreement to lift tariffs temporarily, and will use this four-month window to bring an end to the trade dispute.
“I look forward to our close trading relationship with the US going from strength-to-strength, opening up new opportunities for Scottish businesses.”
Great news for the Scottish whisky industry.”
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack
Moray SNP MSP Richard Lochhead said: “ I warmly welcome the long overdue suspension of US tariffs on Scotch whisky and cashmere which will be a huge relief for these important local industries in Speyside and Moray.
“Combined with Brexit and the impact of Covid, these tariffs were damaging the sectors. Hopefully, given the impact of this dispute over subsidies in aviation that has affected the backbone of Moray’s economy can now be settled permanently as it had been dragging on for far too long.”
Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael said it “may be a good time for us all to raise a glass to President Biden”.
Mr Carmichael added: “US tariffs have caused distillers enormous harm since they were imposed by Donald Trump in 2019 and so a respite is welcome.
“It is vital that the government uses the negotiating time that they have to ensure that tariffs are not renewed in the future.
“Whisky is Scotland’s flagship export – despite disruption over the past year, the end of tariffs can only be a good thing as we try to recover.
“With a 23% drop in global exports last year we need to take every opportunity to help our world-class distilleries in the isles to regain lost ground.”
Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) chief executive Karen Betts said: “This is fabulous news, and our industry is delighted.
“The tariff on single malt Scotch whisky exports to the US has been doing real damage… in the 16 months it has been in place, with exports to the US falling by 35%, costing companies over half a billion pounds.
“So today, everyone in our industry – from small companies to large – is breathing a sigh of relief.
“Suspending these tariffs, stemming from a transatlantic trade dispute that had nothing to do with us, and a return to tariff-free trade with the US means livelihoods and communities across Scotland will be protected.
“It means that companies can now really focus on recovery – on building back the American market as well as on building back global exports hit by the coronavirus pandemic. ”
Everyone in our industry – from small companies to large – is breathing a sigh of relief.”
Scotch Whisky Association chief executive Karen Betts
Ms Betts added: “I want to pay tribute in particular to the hard work of Liz Truss. Distillers will certainly be raising a dram to her tonight.”
Whisky industry veteran and co-owner of The GlenAllachie Distillers Company, Billy Walker was surprised by the announcement.
Mr Walker said: “My suspicions were that the new (US) administration would take some time to assess what they had in inherited.
“Those involved in the negotiations from Westminster and Karen Betts at the SWA have played a blinder and they have done an exceptional job for the industry.
“The US market will always be a key and influential market for The GlenAllachie and for the wider Scotch whisky industry.
“The confusion related to tariffs did slow down our progress in the USA, so we are looking forward to getting on with business.”
Union boss Gary Smith, secretary of GMB Scotland, said: “Amid the political backslapping, government and industry should pay tribute to the efforts of those workers on both sides of the Atlantic who fought long and hard to stop these tariffs.
“It should be a moment of reflection for the UK Government, not celebration.
“The economic damage has been done and livelihoods have been lost because Ministers failed to recognise the importance of this industry to Scotland and Britain from the outset of this tariffs war.”
‘Lessons need to be learned’
Mr Smith added: “Lessons need to be learned because whisky and spirits manufacturing is essential to the prosperity of the Scottish economy and it will be a cornerstone of Britain’s post-Covid recovery – it’s that important.
Scottish Chambers of Commerce chief executive Liz Cameron said: “We lift a dram while wearing our cashmere jumpers to those who have worked to suspend these damaging and unnecessary tariffs on key Scottish exports.
“The USA are our allies and a significant buyer of our goods, and the warming of trade relations is an excellent sign.
“We look forward to both governments working together to settle this issue permanently as we narrow in on a trade deal.”
Whisky was the UK’s largest food and drink export in 2020.
But global exports of Scotland’s iconic drink fell by more than £1.1 billion (23%) last year, badly affected by the 25% tax on sales of single malts in the US.
According to the SWA, the export value of Scotland’s national drink in 2020 slumped to £3.8 billion and volumes fell by 13% to the equivalent of 1.14 billion standard 70cl bottles.
The value and volume of exports to most of the top 10 markets fell as countries went into lockdown to combat the spread of Covid-19.
But it was the impact of tariffs on exports of single malts to the US – part of the tit-for-tat transatlantic row over aerospace subsidies – that caused the most significant losses.
Whisky exports to the US fell by 32% last year, to £729 million, a loss of £340m compared to 2019 and accounting for around one-third of total global export losses.
SWA figures suggest the value of exports of single malts to the US have fallen by more than a third – amounting to more than £500m – since the 25% tariff was imposed in October 2019.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak froze alcohol duty in yesterday’s Budget in a move welcomed by SWA, but getting rid of the US tariff will be seen as an even bigger prize for the industry behind Scotland’s national drink.


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The Apple iPhone 13 series has not been in the market for a long time, and the details related to the iPhone 14 have started coming out. Recently a teaser video of the iPhone 14 has come, which is arousing curiosity among the people. In the video, the iPhone 14 is equipped with a secondary slider screen and AirCharge technology features, which have not been found in any iPhone.
Apple iPhone 14 Secondary Slider Screen
The concept design video of the iPhone 14 shows that the secondary display can be used for keyboard or gaming controls. Also, you can work on two apps simultaneously. At the same time, the second screen will increase your productivity.
Air charge technology has also been introduced in this concept video, through which the phone can be charged without connecting a cable. But for this, you have to keep the device on a charging pad.
Touch ID feature can be available.
Along with Face ID, the feature of Touch ID is also visible in the concept design. The triple rear camera setup and LED flash are shown at the back. At the same time, the camera module has been kept flat. It is not a bit protruding like the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series. For a selfie camera, a punch-hole camera can be given in the display of the iPhone 14.
If a recent report is believed, Apple may move to a USB Type-C connector for charging and data transfer. The Pro model can be offered with a 2TB storage configuration and the regular iPhone 14 with 1TB storage. This phone can come in five colour options – White, Deep Blue, Scarlet, Orange and Black.


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Chinese automaker Zotye Automobile International Co. will open a network of dealerships in the United States by 2020, it has announced.
Zotye USA, the automaker’s American distributor that was formed late last year, plans to open 19 brick and mortar stores on US soil before the end of 2020.
The storefronts will be operated by a number of experienced dealers with history selling mainstream brands like Hyundai, Honda, Buick-GMC and others. Zotye is looking to set itself apart from other brands by offering a customer-focused, “no-haggle experience,” according to Automotive News. Its vehicles will also be priced below much of the competition.
The Chinese company has not said what vehicle it plans to sell in the US first, but rumors point to it being the Zotye T600 – a mid-size crossover with an available range of turbocharged four-cylinder gas engines.
Eventually, Zotye is hoping to have a foothold in 80 different US markets with over 300 storefronts.
Look for the first Zotye vehicle to go on sale in the United States by mid-to-late 2020. If Zotye meets its target, the T600 could be one of the first Chinese cars sold en-masse in the US.
Zotye gained some notoriety in North America after images of its SR9 crossover went viral, which bared a striking resemblance to the Porsche Macan crossover. The SR9’s predecessor, the SR7, looked nearly identical to the Audi Q3.


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More Big Boxes for India
There's an old saying about India, one that Indians sometimes recite in talking with furungis: "Big country, big problems." True enough. But I've never understood is why India sometimes compounds its own problems, such as by, for example, allowing Wal-Mart of all things into the country.
Today the Wall Street Journal reports that Wal-Mart's plans to blitz India are moving ahead, despite its potentially devastating impact on the millions of small, mostly poor shopkeepers in that country. I explained in a previous item what a really dreadful idea this is. In a country with no social safety net, big-box retailers could mean starvation for small store owners driven out of business.
Wal-Mart's Indian partner addresses this obvious concern as follows, according to the Journal:
Rajan Bharti Mittal, joint managing director of Bharti Enterprises, which owns Bharti Retail, emphasized at a news conference that the Indian company would own the new stores and would seek to help small farmers link into its new supply chain.Isn't that just ducky? Indian farmers, who are driven to suicide by economic pressures, would now enjoy the fruits of Wal-Mart's notoriously cut-throat buying practices!
In the U.S., Wal-Mart pays lip service to lessening its devastating impact on local economies, such as by engaging in PR initiatives. With the exception of nonsense like Bharti's "farmers will love this" statement above, the Indian enterprise makes no effort to mask the havoc it will wreak.
It will be interesting to see if the Indian people are able to stop the Wal-Mart steamroller.
© 2007 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved.
Wall Street Versus America was published by Penguin USA on April 6.
Click here for its Amazon.com listing and here for more information on the book, from my web site.


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Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India on Thursday revised upwards its retail inflation projection for the last quarter of the current fiscal to 6.5 per cent owing to likely increase in input costs for milk and pulses amid volatile crude oil prices.
Going forward, the inflation outlook is likely to be influenced by several factors like food inflation, crude prices and input costs for services, RBI said.
On food inflation, RBI said it is likely to soften from the high levels registered in December and the decline is expected to become more pronounced during the fourth quarter of this fiscal as onion prices ease following arrivals of late kharif and rabi harvests, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in its last bi-monthly monetary policy revealed on Thursday.
Besides, crude prices are likely to remain volatile due to unabated geo-political tensions in the Middle East on one hand, and uncertain global economic outlook on the other. Moreover, there has been an increase in input costs for services, in recent months, it added. The RBI has kept the key repo rate unchanged to 5.15 per cent.
"Taking into consideration these factors, and under the assumption of a normal south west monsoon in 2020-21, the CPI inflation projection is revised upwards to 6.5 per cent for Q4:2019-20 (January-March 2020); 5.4-5 per cent for H1:2020-21 (April-September 2020); and 3.2 per cent for Q3:2020-21 (October-December), with risks broadly balanced," RBI said.
The recent pick-up in prices of non-vegetable food items, specifically in milk due to a rise in input costs, and pulses due to a shortfall in kharif production, are all likely to sustain, RBI said.
RBI further said that the actual inflation outcome for Q2 at 5.8 per cent overshot projections by 70 bps, primarily due to the intensification of the "onion price shock" in December 2019 on account of unseasonal rains in October-November.
In its previous monetary policy in December 2019 as well, the RBI had raised its inflation projection to 5.1-4.7 per cent for the second half of the current fiscal on the back of spike in prices of vegetables such as onion and tomatoes.


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Chennai-based Edsix Brain Lab, edutainment startup has raised an undisclosed amount in a second round of angel funding from Sprout Angels LLP. IIM Ahmedabad’s Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) and US-based existing investor Village Capital.
Founded in 2013 by Parimala Vageesan, Kalpana Murthy and Saravanan Sundaramoorthy, Edsix is a CIIE incubated startup that offers online and offline educational and entertaining games for school curriculum for K-12 in assessment and enhancement of brain and life skills. Its product ‘Skill Angels’ provides a multilingual platform that also has Indian regional languages.
The startup plans to expand its services in the B2C segment, enhance technology platform and B2B integration with the new funding.
Edsix Brain Lab has developed 500+ games based on self-paced learning and controlled games which also includes skill development, and has delivered to more than 15,000 students.
Welcome to Flash Feed, your essential source for breaking news and innovation from around the web – bite-sized and updated all day.


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Stitch Fix shares tumbled in extended trading Tuesday after the online styling service offered a weak outlook for its fiscal third quarter and slashed its forecast for the full year, as it struggles to grow its subscriber base.
In its latest quarter, the company said it experienced challenges with onboarding new customers and converting clients. Stitch Fix reported a per-share loss in line with analysts’ estimates, and revenue slightly above expectations, for the three-month period ended Jan. 29.
Looking ahead, however, Stitch Fix is being much more cautious about its prospects for future growth. Chief Executive Elizabeth Spaulding said the company’s active client count is not where she wants it to be. That’s despite a recently introduced option for shoppers to buy single items from its website, without a subscription, known as Freestyle.
Stitch Fix shares shed more than 17% in extended trading.
Here’s how the retailer did in its fiscal second quarter compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by Refinitiv:
Loss per share: 28 cents vs. 28 cents expectedRevenue: $516.7 million vs. $514.8 million expected
Stitch Fix reported a net loss of $30.9 million, or 28 cents per share, compared with a loss of $21 million, or 20 cents a share, a year earlier. That was exactly in line with analysts’ estimates for the quarter.
Revenue grew to $516.7 million from $504.1 million a year earlier, beating estimates of $514.8 million.
The company counted active clients of a little more than 4 million, an increase of 4% from the year-ago period. Revenue per client came in $549 during the period.
Stitch Fix defines an active client as a customer who either checked out a curated style box, called a Fix, or ordered an item using the retailer’s direct-buy option in the preceding 52 weeks, measured on the last day of that period.
For its third quarter, Stitch Fix expects net revenue to be between $485 million and $500 million, which would represent a decline of 10% to 7% from the prior year. Analysts had been looking for sales of $560.5 million.
For its fiscal year, which ends July 30, Stitch Fix sees revenue flat to slightly down year over year, assuming that the number of active clients is flat through the end of the 12-month period. Analysts had expected revenue to be up 8.1% for the year.
The company said it is actively evaluating its marketing spend to better manage improvements to onboarding and conversion. As a result, it said it has withdrawn a previously provided outlook for full-year adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and amortization.
Find the full press release from Stitch Fix here.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
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Building materials company USG said fourth-quarter losses widened despite higher sales as the company had to write down costs in its shipping division.
By the numbers: The company known for making Sheetrock drywall lost $53 million, or 36 cents per share. A year earlier, USG said it lost $4 million, or 3 cents per share.
Revenue was up more than 4 percent to $954 million compared with $915 million in the same quarter a year earlier.
For the year, the company reported a profit of $37 million, or 25 cents per share. Sales at USG were $3.72 billion.
What happened?: Chicago-based USG said it recorded several charges in the fourth quarter, including $75 million in costs to its shipping segment, which, according to company officials, is a fraction of its overall business. Chief Executive Officer James Metcalf said the company is considering selling ships that historically helped the company transport its product to various markets along the Eastern Seaboard.
Still, Metcalf said USG's bottom line, which is largely dependent on housing starts, is improving. "While the pace of recovery is clearly more shallow than what we were anticipating, our trajectory continues to be positive and we are confident that 2015 will outperform 2014," Metcalf said in a statement.
Investor reaction: Wall Street had expected the company to earn 37 cents per share on sales of $971 million. Shares of USG plunged more than 5 percent in Thursday trading to close at $29.62.


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Hewlett-Packard CEO Leo Apotheker will likely be removed from his position on Thursday and replaced by HP director and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
HP has started laying off workers associated with last year's billion-dollar acquisition of Palm, as it closes down the mobile device business it planned to base on Palm's webOS. The news comes almost exactly a month after HP announced a sweeping reo...
Groupon's problems in China, including a recent round of staff layoffs, have come as no surprise to analysts, who hold that the company rushed its plans in the country and relied too much on foreign expertise.
Cisco's profit in its fiscal fourth quarter fell about one-third from a year earlier, while its sales increased only 3.3 percent, the company reported on Wednesday.
Research in Motion, which has been losing ground to Apple, Google and even Microsoft in the mobile market, announced Monday it is cutting 2,000 jobs, or about 11 per cent of its workforce.
Research in Motion will lay off 2,000 staff, or a little more than 10 percent of its workforce, and make changes to its senior management team, it announced Monday. Chief Operating Officer for Blackberry, Don Morrison, will retire, but Co-CEOs Jim Ba...
MySpace, which dominated the social-networking market in the mid-2000s before Facebook eclipsed it, has been sold by its parent company News Corp. to digital media company Specific Media.
ST-Ericsson this week said it would cut up to 500 jobs as part of a cost-savings plan that could help the company reach profitability sooner.
Eight Skype executives have departed the company following Microsoft's $8.5 billion buyout in May, a Skype spokeswoman confirmed on Monday.
Acer is laying off 300 employees in Europe and taking a charge of US$150 million, as the company tries to streamline operations following the departure of CEO Gianfranco Lanci in March after a conflict with the company's management.
Cisco this week instituted a voluntary early retirement program, its first in two years, in an effort to reduce costs.
Another cloud storage operation shut down last week when startup Cirtas Systems, which developed a controller for storage in the cloud, announced it was leaving the market to regroup.
Acer, one of the world’s biggest PC makers, will lay off 10 percent of staff in China as its workforce there overlaps with that of local partner Founder Technology, a company spokesman said on Friday.
A U.S. committee that overseas foreign investments will likely recommend that President Barack Obama reverse a deal by Chinese network supplier Huawei to acquire intellectual property from a U.S start-up, according to a report by The Wall Street Jour...
In a negative prelude to its fourth quarter earnings report due later on Tuesday, Yahoo confirmed it is cutting one per cent of its global staff, or about 140 employees.
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Media is abuzz
Paparazzi’s been all over DTown SLO lately. The first bomb dropped when Ross said peace out, creating a big vacancy on Higuera, although the writing was on the wall when they opened in the Madonna Plaza in 2019. Sorry, not sorry, you’ll have to give up your Thursday tradish of Farmers’ churros and browsing department store reject shoes. Bonus – now you can shop local.
SLO has weathered the pandemmie better than most DTowns, even with gaping vacancies like Beverley’s, Charles Shoes and Ross. But you’d never know it from the SF Guardian’s Jan. 26 story about Boo Boo Records. Ups to our fave record store getting love from a big city paper, but why did the pap have to drag DTown through the mud to prove their case?! Errbody’s panties were bunched over that one, from Cal Coast News to Dave Congalton.
Save Our Downtown emerged from their soapbox hiatus with their ol’ one-trick pony show, ranting in the Trib about tall buildings in “desolate” SLO. Their depiction of a dark, scary and loud downtown is HI-lariously laughable, but we don’t need to tell you that because SLO County YIMBY clapped back with a righteous rebuttal. Preach!


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– Bearish wave halts on Polkadot.
– DOT lost more than 40% last week.
– Polkadot awaits a potential deal with FC Barcelona.
Polkadot has been one of the most famous altcoins and managed to hit a price of $55 in November 2021. It is currently the eleventh biggest cryptocurrency with a market cap of $18,344,821,245.
The past few weeks have been tough on the cryptocurrency market, and Polkadot has been one of the major victims of the recent market dip. Since the November high, DOT has lost more than 70% of its value to trade at a low of $16 on 22nd January.
However, DOT has managed to stay afloat at the $19 mark forming a flag, with bulls trying to overcome the strong bearish pressure in the market.
From the Weekly chart above it is clear that the market is strongly bearish. And, it might continue in that direction, especially with the recent hawkish interest rates statements from Central Banks around the world and the worrying inflation. The next level of support is at the $10 mark, a break of this level might scare away enthusiasts of the Polkadot blockchain network and risk the coin losing its entire value.
On the positive side, FC Barcelona announced that they are considering having the Polkadot Blockchain network as their official jersey sponsors. The current official Jersey sponsor for Barcelona is Rakuten, an e-commerce company from Japan and the contract ends July 2022. If Polkadot manages to get this deal, it will greatly boost the awareness of the Polkadot blockchain and increase its popularity and trust.
Cryptocurrencies have had a couple of huge sports deals in terms of sponsorships, FTX Exchange signed a deal with Major league Baseball, Coinbase Exchange signed a deal with National Basket Ball Association (NBA).


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More than half of the S&P 500 companies have “cited the term ‘inflation’ during their earnings calls for the third quarter” according to a report released last week by financial data and software company FactSet. The report said 285 companies mentioned inflation on their earnings calls. The number rose to its highest in 10 years in the third quarter, as executives fret about the effect of rising prices on their businesses.
“In fact, this is the highest overall number of S&P 500 companies citing “inflation” on earnings calls going back to at least 2010,” FactSet Vice President and Senior Earnings Analyst John Butters wrote in the report. “The previous record was 222, which occurred in Q2 2021.”
Inflation hasn’t just been the hot topic of earnings calls. It has also dominated headlines and been the topic of many opinion and commentary pieces. Inflation has even influenced monetary policy, with the Federal Reserve potentially raising its benchmark short-term rate from zero as early as next year.
“Consumer prices increased 6.2% in October, which was the largest year-over-year increase since 1990,” Butters wrote in the report. “Producer prices rose 8.6% in October, which marked a tie with the previous month (September) for the largest year-over-year increase since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking this measure in 2010.”
The list of companies that have mentioned inflation in their Q3 earnings calls could grow this week. 40 companies have yet to have their earnings call. This includes Home Depot and Walmart, which will report their results on Tuesday. Target will report its results on Wednesday and Macy’s will report earnings on Thursday. Also on Tuesday, Wall Street will get an update on consumer spending when the Commerce Department releases its retail sales report for October.
Despite a rise in costs to do business, a wide range of companies have shown they successfully navigated both the summer surge of COVID-19 cases and lingering supply chain problems. According to FactSet, S&P 500 companies are expected to post a net profit margin of 12.9% in Q3, and 11.8% in Q4. This implies companies have been able to pass rising costs along to the consumer. However, those consumers have also benefitted from higher wages. Last month, the Commerce Department reported a 1.5% wage jump for September. That is the highest jump seen in the department’s 20-year history of keeping such records.


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Those participating in Veganuary are the greater part route through at this point. Many have cleared their path through the energizing new dispatches by eateries and are starting to feel the conventional January squeeze on their wallets, constraining more home cooking.
Some will settle on direct choices of their preferred nourishment. Grocery stores are currently ready to offer a large group of choices from without dairy choices to cheddar, milk and frozen yogurt notwithstanding meat choices running from Quorn or soy mince and chicken style pieces to 'people to come' meat copying burgers and steaks.
The more gutsy may endeavor to make their dinners without any preparation. Maybe subbing mince for lentils, making choices to cream from cashews or building burgers from chickpeas.
However, where do the elements for these new choices originate from? Also, would we be able to meet our wholesome needs with privately created nourishment while remaining plant based? Or then again would the planet profit by individuals taking up a home-developed omnivorous eating routine?
Scientists, ranchers, dietitian and nutritionists are isolated on the issue.
"A 2018 Oxford University study found that a veggie lover diet is the single most powerful way to diminish our ecological impression," says Dominika Piasecka in the interest of The Vegan Society.
"Indeed, even the specialist himself went vegetarian as he was unable to locate a feasible method for cultivating creatures. Shopping locally and occasionally is significant, however it could not hope to compare to the effect you can have by changing the sorts of nourishment you eat."
Obviously, ranchers oppose this idea. The UK is the place Veganuary began, and where it keeps on getting most of its recruits. Ranchers there, and their illustrative body the National Farmers Union, give off an impression of being keeping up a stony quietness towards any notice of Veganuary.
British farmers are always quick to point out that their practices are among the most sustainable on Earth. Indeed, at a conference earlier this month, NFU president Minette Batters pointed out the UK red meat industry emits 40% less CO2 than the global average.
What’s more, the union has major plans to make UK farming carbon neutral within the next 20 years.
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Jane Mena Welcomes First Baby With Her Husband (Photo)
Popular Nigerian Instagram twerker and brand influencer, Jane Mena and her husband have welcome their first baby, IGBERETV reports.
The excited dancer took to her Instagram handle to announce the news.
She shared a video of her hand and that of her husband, and revealed the foot of her new baby.
She captioned the video;
“A journey that started with both of us has now brought a little addition❤”


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Experts and consumers were electrified when Apple announced its first mixed reality glasses last summer. Apple's entry into the segment is seen as a clear signal of the technology's suitability for the masses. The Vision Pro, which is due to be delivered in the USA from February 2024, could therefore be a game changer for mixed reality. Luisa-Marie Schmolke, Innovation Manager at the ERGO Innovation Lab, took a closer look at the topic.
It is 1968 and computer graphics pioneer Ivan Sutherland has invented a pair of glasses at the University of Utah that can be used to project computer-generated virtual objects into physical reality. The three-dimensional, geometric shapes appear in the user's field of vision and move in synchronisation with their head movements. It is the first augmented reality (AR) or head-mounted display and has a refresh rate of 30 hertz. However, due to its weight, nobody was able to put the device on yet. It was still so heavy that it had to be attached to the ceiling above the wearer and was therefore called the "Sword of Damocles".
A lot has happened since then. The hardware of today's augmented reality or virtual reality (VR) glasses has become much lighter and the software significantly more powerful. In current VR glasses, the resolution is now so high that not a single pixel can be recognised. Latency, weight and energy consumption have also decreased significantly over the years. We are therefore on the threshold of an age in which reality can be fully merged with computer-generated objects - perfect immersion. The transition between the digital and analogue world will be seamless.
To make this experience even more realistic, there are already many projects and products to make the virtual world truly tangible, for example through haptic feedback, so-called "force feedback" or "tactile feedback". Haptic peripherals are intended to provide users with perfect multi-sensory immersion. This can be through motors or vibration mechanisms in controllers, gloves or touchscreens. There are so-called "haptic suits", i.e. full-body suits or waistcoats, with haptic feedback. There are also haptic floors or chairs that provide direct feedback on surfaces. Researchers from Malmö and Oslo want to integrate odours into the virtual world.
All these innovations and developments will bring us closer to what we are promised with the Metaverse. In which we can not only see and hear the three-dimensional internet via glasses (or spatial computing), but really feel it. As a full body experience.
It will take a few more developments before we get to that point. However, more and more mixed reality applications are already finding their way into our everyday lives and helping us as users to accomplish various tasks.
In the automotive sector, for example, head-up displays with augmented reality are already being installed in series production. They superimpose supporting information onto the driver's field of vision while they can keep their eyes on the road. In medicine, VR and AR make it possible to practise and simulate operations, while in industry, AR technologies support employees during assembly, maintenance or troubleshooting by superimposing information onto physical objects.
In addition, another area is virtually predestined for these technologies: Training and further education. At ERGO, for example, we have been training up to 500 independent sales partners every year since 2023 using VR training. Here, users learn how to conduct successful sales talks. Four different personality types are available to them as avatars, as well as a virtual coach who supports them with tips and assistance.
With "Switch off & recharge your batteries with VR", ERGO employees have also been able to take a virtual break of 20 minutes each at five locations since last year. And we are currently piloting a VR advice app in which customers can receive advice on travel health insurance via VR glasses. With the "ERGO VR Experience", we have succeeded for the first time in making insurance products an immersive experience and thus offering a great addition to traditional advice.
Overall, we believe that the potential of these technologies is very high. This is also because the use of AR and VR head sets has increased in recent years. With Apple's Vision Pro, we are now also on the cusp of the mass market. Some are even predicting that user behaviour, which has shifted from desktop to mobile in recent years, will move towards glasses as the 1st device in the coming years.
It is still difficult to say when mixed glasses will become a widespread everyday tool. It depends on many factors such as availability, pricing, content offerings, etc. But I am certain that we will see a rapid development curve in the coming years. And then we at ERGO will be prepared for it. Because we are frontrunners when it comes to utilising new technologies.
Text: Luisa-Marie Schmolke
“We want to make abstract insurance products tangible”“
How VR consultations are received by customers


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Kathryn Layland has joined ADvendio as chief revenue officer after 17 months with Ingenta.
The advertising industry veteran has worked with UK national and regional newspaper publishers and systems developers, most recently Lineup and Ingenta.
In her new role she will be responsible for worldwide sales and marketing for ADvendio - which develops Salesforce-powered advertising management software - as the company expands in both geography and media reach.
Chief executive Bernd Bube says her introduction to the company is "a milestone" in its international expansion. "We are delighted to bring Kathryn to our team, given her track record in the advertising, publishing and technology industries, and we are looking forward to working with her.
"We are confident we will benefit from her extensive experience, as we expand in cross-media advertising management and improve our services across different media platforms.
She joins a growing team working in countries including the UK, Ireland, Germany, Chile, Australia, the US and Canada. ADvendio claims media company customers in more than 25 countries, streamlining cross-channel ad sales across systems including Doubleclick DFP, One by AOL, Smart AdServer, AppNexus and supply-side platforms such as DoubleClick Ad Exchange, Adform, and Rubicon Project.
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Philippine Constructors Association Inc. president Junn Elepaño announces the staging of Philconstruct Luzon 2023 in Clark Freeport, Pampanga. This year’s iteration is the second hybrid format to be mounted simultaneously virtually and through VX Events, an online platform that expands reach to stakeholders and off-site participants. The three-day expo, from March 30 to April 1, aims to connect people in the building and construction industry to discover new opportunities and learn new innovations. The event has become a one-stop destination for all construction needs, attracting thousands of industry players. It will feature indoor and outdoor displays from various brands, ranging from small to the country’s largest suppliers and manufacturers. The show also includes a variety of construction seminars designed to keep attendees up to date on the latest industry trends.
The Philippine Coast Guard shows a portion of a Chinese rocket recovered by fisherman Alvin Menez in the open sea...Read more


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NASHVILLE, Tenn.―Firestone Industrial Products Co. L.L.C. is hoping that a new central European distribution center in Chobienice, Poland, improves the delivery of its products to customers across Europe.
Firestone said the new 100,000-sq.-ft. warehouse with four loading docks is near an existing manufacturing site in nearby Wolsztyn, improving efficiency in the supply chain between the two locations.
Nashville-based FSIP specializes in air spring design and manufacturing for commercial trucks and trailers, cars, sport-utility vehicles, light trucks, mini vans, buses, agricultural equipment, and rail and industrial uses.
"As a leader in developing solutions to eliminate vibration in global transportation, Firestone Industrial Products continues to evaluate new business strategies and seek opportunities to better serve our customers," FSIP President Emily Poladian said in a statement. "Our new approach focuses on centralizing many of our processes and operations in order to optimize the supply chain to our original equipment customers and aftermarket distributors across Europe."
Firestone said the Chobienice warehouse comes on the heels of a 20,000-sq.-ft. expansion at the Wolsztyn manufacturing site in September. The company said it added new technologies and equipment to the Wolsztyn site at that time.
Also earlier this year, parent company Bridgestone Corp. announced that new investments would be made in eight tire plants across Europe—including two in Poland.